DA4a Trail Of Tears
by Ameslan
Summary: Condensed from The Reckoning. Focuses on the CHEROKEE and her commander. Edited in relevant events from previous stories. Heavy on the TREKnobabble.


(this cover in place as part of presentation for friend who had creative concept)

From the files of the

**DAV CHEROKEE NCC-18003**

The official Alliance Engineering Corps (AEC) report as submitted to the Drakmärian Alliance's Star Corps

This document and its contents have been reclassified for purposes of review and oversight

This is a production copy and is licensed for distribution to Engineer Artisan Pr'gn-W and is transmitted and logged for archival placement and storage at the facilities maintained by Miracle Works Incorporated (MWI) as their sole acting agent representing his oversight position as owner and seniormost operations executive for said entity

Please find contained herein the official transcript of the incident as entitled

**TRAIL OF TEARS**

The oversight and investigation committee has declared this incident closed in the interest of Alliance security and the contents of this file are a matter of confidential record

This file has been appended as necessary to reflect actions by personnel before and after this record in order to highlight the ramifications of said action and the effects they have on subsequent aspects of the command decision-making process

Following a dangerous shakedown cruise for the Flagship, Pr'gn is given command of a mission to find a missing friend's vessel. When the mission goes horribly wrong, Pr'gn finds he must be willing to sacrifice everything to complete the mission.

**TRAIL OF TEARS**

(A 'trek-nology' laden idea by Perry Moore, authored by Brian Moore)

Condensed from the 'b-plot' of the stories: RIDING SILENT THUNDER PARTS I & 2

(WORKING TITLE: MIDNIGHT OF DESPERATION

Intended as a sequel to DAWN OF HOPE and prequel to ARCHANGEL RISING)

**PRELUDE**

RIDING SILENT THUNDER PART I- LADY IN DISTRESS

ALTERNATE TITLE: THE TANELORN GAMBIT

**(Note: The following is not part of the TRAIL OF TEARS incident itself but is included as events contained within are either directly or indirectly related to the incident. This information may help the reader or any subsequent reviewer to have a better understanding of the incident's background and the command decisions that were made. For further information please see the footnote at the head of actual file)**

(Footnotes are added to chapter headings where needed to explain plot holes that are included in main story but removed from this text due to complexity of extended narration not being relevant to this story. Since there is a lot of technobabble, capitalization and italics have been added to key areas to highlight the text for the reader's edification. While this may seem disruptive, it is less tedious than including the quite extensive notes made by the Engineering personnel in reference to this file. Some of this highlighting has been removed fro the master file for the benefit of the layman reviewer.)

As the _TANELORN_ entered the Shadowlands, the Counselor noticed that the tension level on the Bridge rose slightly until Jarrad said to her, loud enough for the rest to hear,

"I am glad I have the best ship and crew in the fleet or this could get messy"

Down in Engineering, Pr'gn noticed that as soon as the _TANELORN_ entered the Shadowlands, EPS efficiency dropped by 1/10 of 1. He took this as his cue to institute a level 3 diagnostic. This elicited a chorus of groans, sighs, and rolled eyes from his staff as they complied.

Back up on the bridge, Lieutenant Commander Silver had just noticed a glitch in the TA/T/TS and when he accessed the _telltale_, he discovered the system was in _simulation mode_. He was just about to inform the Admiral of this when the first shot struck.

"_BATTLE STATIONS! RED ALERT!_" Jarrad literally shouted in his surprise. Making every effort to compose himself, he asked over the blaring _alert_ klaxon,

"Ops, what was that? Never mind...Tactical, why wasn't I warned? Helm, bring us hard about to confront aggressor". Silver never got a chance to reply as Pr'gn's voice piped in over the comlink,

"Bridge, this is Engineering…what exactly is going on? I've got major malfunctions _across the board_ yet Damage Control Teams can't find any damage to control!"

"Sir, we are receiving a message from our attacker '_Surrender or be destroyed_' although their _Transponder ID_ indicates the vessel to be the _LARRGN-Z_, they have identified themselves as the _DAV PEAK PERFORMANCE_", T'Sear cut in from Communications.

"Wonderful! What next? A guest appearance on this mission from the Grand Nagus? How about a side trip to the Romulan homeworld just for good measure!" Pr'gn retorted sarcastically to the Alpha Centaurian's announcement.

"The Phaser blast came from an unusually dense _ionization cloud_, which is why we didn't detect them. Our Shields are down to 68, Phasers are out, _moderate_ to _heavy_ damage to decks 23 through 26, Photons and Impulse Engines are out on starboard, EPS and ODN Dorsal Transfer Connections have completely failed. Sir, even for _simulated_ damage, they knew where to hit us", an agitated Silver reported from a flickering Tactical station.

"Jarrad to Pr'gn", no response.

"Bridge to Engineering, please respond!" Jarrad frowned.

"Technician Cs'ay here sir, Commander Pr'gn just entered a Jeffries' tube muttering something about that '_every time somebody on the bridge gets into trouble, he not only has to save the day but clean up the mess as well, and now he has to do it in simulation_'. He specifically stated that '_engineers have all the guts and none of the glory' _", a nervously excited young Drakmärian voice replied. Jarrad answered calmly while putting a smile in his voice,

"Thank you Mister Cs'ay, will you please inform Pr'gn that we need whatever he can give us in...", Jarrad glanced at Silver whose expression indicated that he had given up not trying to be agitated with the malfunctioning Tactical station. The burly Chief of Security threw up his hands in exasperation, shrugged and growled, "45 seconds", to a bemused Jarrad, "...45 seconds as our attacker is beginning its next run".

"Yes Sir, the Chief says..." the Technician was cut off by his Commander's distant hollow shout, "What he says is– '_fine, whatever; you can have your precious 40 seconds!_' Now, _please_ let me get back to saving my lady again! Just keep them off _my engines_! By the way, whose bright _idea_ was this Wargame?" From the Helm, Conidi glanced at Jarrad with a mischievous smile and Jarrad chuckled as the two replied in unison, "O'Camp", there was a loud _crash_ over the comlink and Pr'gn suddenly came over his own communicator,

"_WHAT! _I'll kill him! Right after I finish this. How _dare_ he order someone to harm my engines!" and he closed the line.

Pr'gn beat his own time by 10 seconds.

The ensuing battle was furious yet brief. The _LARRGN-Z_ not only had the advantage of a more seasoned _crew_ but also that of _surprise_. The _TANELORN_, being the Flagship, had the more powerful _design_ and contained a crew that was the _élite_ of the Alliance. The _LARRGN-Z_ was winning easily until Captain McCollin applied his infamous '_McCollin gambit_' of scattering an Antimatter Spread while _rotating_ different Shield layers at _different_ and _opposing_ frequencies. Jarrad was anticipating the unique maneuver and even _hoping_ for it as Potter had devised a _defense_ against it. The maneuver gave Pr'gn a headache as firing a Tractor Beam _through_ the Antimatter Spread caused a _massive_ localized Electromagnetic Polarization Effect. This meant that in order to disable the _LARRGN-Z_, the _TANELORN_ had to run _cold_. The battle simply went to the ship which could get back _on-line_ fastest. The _LARRGN-Z's_ crew had the advantage of _familiarity_, but the _TANELORN_ had the advantage of a better-designed _system_. The latter vessel also had a Chief Engineer who had an annoying tendency to fall in love with any machine he saw plus ensuring his staff had that machine working at better than absolute perfection. Especially now since he had always had a friendly competition with the other ship's Captain who was a fellow Engineer. The result was that the _LARRGN-Z's_ crew was slightly _faster_ while the _TANELORN's_ crew had significantly less _work_. When all was said and done, although it was close, the _winner_ was clear.

_D.A.V. TANELORN NCC 9004-A_

After the conference room had been filled, Jarrad spoke,

"As evidenced by the generous smirk on Pr'gn's face, congratulations on a job well done. You are truly the _finest_ crew in the fleet." he paused for effect as he took a deep breath in through his nose. He then slowly exhaled through pursed lips while stroking his beard and gazing at his friends; after a pause, he continued, "Now that title will be put to the test. Your training and dedication will be _challenged_ on this mission like never before". Pr'gn interrupted cockily, his grin leaving little room for the rest of his features. Still insufferably pleased with himself after his ship beat the most famous engineer in the Alliance, he chuckled,

"So...what's the rub, bub?" Potter nearly fell out of his seat while Larr and Silver nearly lost it. Leaning on the table and making direct steely-eyed in-your-face contact with the adopted Drakmärian, Jarrad literally growled,

"The rub is, _Lieutenant _Commander," if the young Admiral's words or demeanor had any effect on the Engineer, it did not show, "this mission will take us into the heart of _Romulan_ territory!" That took the wind out of Pr'gn's sails. His smile fell so fast that Jarrad nearly expected to hear a crash. In the corner of his eye, Jarrad noticed that both Larr's and J'lorra's red, pupil less eyes suddenly seemed to blaze with fury in response to the passions evoked by the mention of their people's sworn enemy.

For the next 15 minutes, Jarrad apprised them of the situation. Of how the Destroyer _MAELSTROM_ had been destroyed by a cloaked Romulan Battlecruiser following the intrusion of a Romulan Scout Ship, how the surprised fighter escorts had subdued a superior opponent, to how the sole occupant of the Scout, a Romulan, had informed Dermon that Legate Torm Khanpri was on ch'Havran and desired to defect. The Legate's name was familiar to all present as he had used his membership in the Cardassian Central Command to come to the _TANELORN's_ aid 1 1/2 years ago. Khanpri had had the Obsidian Order unwittingly mislead the Tal Shiar in their attempt to help the Jerichans in a plot to destroy the _TANELORN_. The Jerichans had been outwitted and the Alliance's Flagship had barely gotten away with its hull intact mere moments before the Romulans had showed thanks to Khanpri's warning. The Legate had disappeared soon after. Jarrad concluded by asking his Number One,

"With this new design, how soon can we be there?" Potter glanced quizzically at Pr'gn, who stated,

"With our voluntary Engineering restriction of Warp 5, the '_SpectraWarp_' system can introduce a potential +10 Factor levels. This means she can _theoretically_ do the _equivalent_ of Warp 15". This revelation elicited a chorus of astonished gasps from the assembled officers, after consulting the Conference Table's workstation and doing some quick mental calculations, Potter replied matter-of-factly,

"20 hours, 17 minutes"

"Let's do it", Jarrad directed with his trademark as he dismissed the meeting. As the senior staff members were spilling out of the room, Pr'gn muttered to Silver,

"That will teach me not to make certain off-hand comments"

"We can only hope", Mark sighed. The _TANELORN_'s Chief Engineer then turned and addressed his First Officer,

"Sir, we need to talk"

"Affirmative", the pale Canadian acknowledged.

As they were leaving the room, Jarrad noticed that Potter had transferred the Science station to the Environmental position. He was now seated next to Pr'gn and both of them were fussing with their controls. The Admiral watched for a few moments, bemusedly listening to them mutter to themselves and each other,

"Is there a problem, gentlemen?" Potter opened his mouth to reply, but Pr'gn managed to respond first,

"We are now _cruising_ at +4.5; I will now take us to +8, see what happens? We wind with a _harmonic frequency friction signature_ as Subspace Doppler drag increases. This simply means we are getting an _energy exchange_ from the two opposing Warp Fields. This has the same effect as looking at two people standing next to each other through a lens that is out of focus. You can tell that there are two people, yet they sort of blend together."

"What's our present status, can anything be done?" queried a concerned Jarrad.

"We have to retune the _subspace phase harmonics_ within the Warp Field configuration somehow. We can maintain +9 at 75 efficiency, yet the _exponential value_ of the Cochrane level may degrade that efficiency. Due to the fact that this new theory is unaffected by incremental values, our safest speed is +8.5", Pr'gn informed him. Just to their left, Potter murmured,

"Fascinating." In response, Pr'gn turned and replied,

"Thank you."

"Not you, Commander, the computer." Potter replied typically deadpan while keeping his gaze fixed on his monitor. Jarrad asked,

"What is it?"

"It would appear that I have inadvertently discovered the source of our problem. Our Warp Drive is designed as a _quantum state delivery propulsion system_ and we have..." At this point, Pr'gn interrupted Potter while slapping himself on the forehead,

"Configured all the Transporter Emitter Arrays for _molecular_ resolution! I don't believe I, of all people, actually missed something so obvious! Hey, now wait just one minute! Now you're saying it's _my_ fault?" Potter replied nonchalantly,

"Who am I to argue with such words of wisdom?" Jarrad took this as his cue to place a hand on either man's shoulder and interject into their unique rapport,

"Gentlemen, gentlemen please, what can be done to rectify this situation?"

"The most obvious choice would be to use a _Montgomery Amplifier_..." Potter began until Pr'gn interjected heatedly but politely,

"Sir, that would be impossible, we would need a radically different Spaceframe Design concept for that to be feasible for _saturation effect._"

"I am well aware of that, Commander, and I was about to apprise the Admiral of that fact. We must find some way of modifying the technology we have rather than applying an external remedy for now". Suddenly, Pr'gn snapped his fingers and asked,

"We're using a Passive Quantum Distortion Field Limiter so that the opposing Warp Field won't leave a '_subspace scuff mark_' on our Shields, right?" Potter opened his mouth to reply, but then thought better of it and merely nodded as the Engineer continued, "We can run a direct EPS tap to the Limiter, hook up a Subspace Field Inverter for _polarity compatibility_, and use the Saucer section Deflectors as a Projector for the assembly. We will still have the _static defocusing_, but it will be so compressed as to be of negligible effect."

"The computer indicates that, in theory, this will cause a broad-based _variable frequency flux resonance_ within the Primary Deflector which could adversely affect our Tachyon Beam", Potter reported. Jarrad held his hands to his head, closed his eyes, and shook his head as he groaned,

"Why do I get the feeling that I should have known better than to ask?" The two comrades had a running competition to try to out do each other when it came to the technical aspects of their respective fields. Jarrad suspected that this was merely their way of working together and Pr'gn's next comment left him feeling vindicated,

"Captain Potter, I am going to need you to reprogram a Protocol Analyzer and Manager according to your diagnostics so we can clearly define and monitor _matrix configuration_." The one part Jarrad actually understood was about the Montgomery Amplifier. The unique piece of technology was a Subspace Field Amplifier which used _gravity fields_ to operate on an _inverse proportionate level_. This meant the _greater_ the field, the less _efficient_ the effect. He'd read that something called the _Mannheim Effect_, in which _time_ is affected by _gravity_ fields, meant that Warp Engines had to be installed _below_ the Amplifier or they _neutralize_ each other. The Shipyard's hull designs were reflecting this new fact of life and Jarrad knew the next incarnation of the _TANELORN_ would as well

(After the _TANELORN_ makes it to Romulus, they are struck and disabled by an unknown when they attempt to contact the defector's comlink)

Down in Engineering, Pr'gn was in the middle of his worst nightmare. All around him, panels were blowing out as their respective _conduits_ overloaded. The 3 Technicians on Duty came running to his aid, but he stopped them by shouting,

"I got this! Get to the _primary cutoffs_ and reinitialize the Waveguide Converters!" As they scattered, the stocky Engineer hazarded a glance at the Master Situation Monitor on the opposite wall. His heart sank as he realized that they were only moments away from an EPS _cascade system failure_. Thinking fast, he threw safety and his training to the wind. He kicked out the nearest undamaged Duty Console repeater panel. Behind it, now exposed, were the three types of _power taps_ for the Primary Transfer Conduits. At a glance he determined that the Tertiary was _off-line_, the Secondary was _overloading_, and the Primary had already _failed_ somewhere up the line. He disconnected the _linkages_ for the Primary and Secondary, set the _tap_ for the Secondary against the _access_ for the Primary, and took a deep breath. The two types did not have _mating linkages_, so Pr'gn had to pray that the Plasma Primer would _fuse_ them together. If it held, he would have saved his domain once again. If, on the other hand, he were off by even an ångstrom, he would only know for the instant before he was _ionized_. A full minute later, Pr'gn exhaled. As he realized he was still alive, the breath turned into a sigh of relief. He quickly went to the Master Systems Display '_pool table_' workstation and ascertained that the Primary had failed within the Magnetic Bypass Conditioner Element. Grabbing a Spanner and an Inverse Low-frequency Capacitor, he managed to effect temporary repairs. He was also able to _increase_ and _enrich_ Plasma flow to bare Minimum Efficiency Standards. All in less than 2 minutes.

That was when the _real_ trouble started. As Pr'gn slid himself out form under the access panel, there was a _shimmer_ of sound and light in his peripheral vision. Snapping himself into a _Dri-di-ki_ battle stance, the adopted Drakmärian only gave his first target time to materialize. He sent the Romulan sailing into the M/ARA pit with a kick to the back. The Engineer charged into the work area and took out the next intruder with a _flying head shot_. Using the momentum of his kick, he _somersaulted_ through the air and slid across the '_pool table_'. As he reached the far end, he grabbed a hold of the workstation and flipped into a _double thrust kick_, which incapacitated his third and fourth opponents. Hearing more coming, he grabbed a _laser torch_ and reset the controls for _high gain, tight beam_. Without a Power Pack, this would give him 5 shots at a range of 3 feet. Pr'gn ducked behind the Master Systems Display and waited until the footfalls came close enough. He then jumped up and fired on the 3 Romulans he was now confronting. He darted around the table and made a beeline for his office to retrieve his Phaser. As he was passing the last Romulan he had shot, the Centurion grabbed his leg, sending him sprawling. The wounded alien was retrieving his disruptor as 6 others began to materialize. In an act of desperate _improvisation_, Pr'gn opted for an uncharacteristic bluff. He opened the M/ARA unit's Trilithium Housing. Out of his _work belt_ came the Spanner. He separated the Control Module from the Actuator, and dropped the Actuator into the Housing. Pr'gn quickly set the Module for _display diagnostic_. When the controls began to flash, he held the unit aloft and said,

"If I release this unit, it will send a _magnetic dampening pulse_ into the Chamber and cause a _core breach_. Now drop your weapons!" One of the intruders got cocky and sneered,

"You won't do that; you'll be destroying your own ship!"

"True, but it will be going out _my_ way. Plus, I will also have the _satisfaction_ of taking you with me. Drop 'em; _NOW_!" They complied. Pr'gn retrieved the nearest disruptor as he chuckled,

"I am glad you guys are gullible, this thing's battery was just about dead." He then stunned the six Romulans using their own weapon. Insufferably pleased with himself, he strutted into his office saying,

"I am a big, bad, bold, rough and tough, lean, mean, fightin' machine! Even at a dozen-to-1 odds and them having the advantage of surprise, I _still_ win! _YES_! But then, why am I acting so surprised? They tried to take _my_ engineering, so _my_ victory was inevitable! I mean, how _dumb_ can you be and still _breathe_? _HEH_!" Because of the dim red _emergency lighting_, the Engineer failed to notice that one of the aliens was still barely conscious. Before he finally succumbed to his injuries, he managed to get off a shot at Pr'gn's back. Pr'gn turned the corner to enter his office right as the trigger was pulled, so the blast only grazed the seat of his pants.

Working together, T'Sear and Conidi had managed to restore _rudimentary internal communications_. They had accomplished this by _routing_ everything through the Bridge's Emergency Subsystems Trunk. They had connected one of the Dedicated Computer Optical Subprocessors to the Primary Subspace Antenna grid. Since the Main Computer was off-line, the _subprocessor's redundant short-range_ Radio Frequency link provided an adequate backup. They soon discovered their only problem was that all Communications traffic had to be routed through the Bridge's Communication station. Conidi also had to reprogram the Subspace Transceiver Assemblies on 6 Tricorders to create a _subspace amplifier_. The Radio Frequency link did not have sufficient strength to handle the subspace transmissions and the overload reduced the _signal strength_ to nil, which concerned T'Sear. Half an hour after the _TANELORN_ had been disabled, a senior staff conference was in progress. Nurse Dominick Barco reported first,

"Out of our current 50 man crew, 32 have been injured, 8 seriously." This prompted Silver to pipe in,

"Including Larr's pride." Everyone glanced over to where the Drakmärian Prince was pouting. When the _TANELORN_ had been hit, he had been in TAN Foreward about to take a drink. The impact had caused his head to snap down as he was bringing the mug to his lips, causing the 2 to collide and rendering him unconscious. Somehow, during the fall he had also managed to break his arm. 30 Romulans had come on board and he had missed all the fun. The usually wisecracking Larrgn-Z mumbled,

"Oh shut up!" Nonplussed, Silver turned to Pr'gn and said tongue-in-cheek,

"I suppose now you're wanting to go visit Ambassador Spock or something equally as _innovative_." He pressed the sarcasm on the last word as Pr'gn adjusted his position in his chair. Jarrad noted the Engineer had been squirming ever since he had sat down. With mock-exaggerated seriousness, the adopted Drakmärian replied,

"Hey, you know, that's not a bad id..."

"_PR'GN_!" Everyone chorused, interrupting him. As he squirmed yet again, the engineer in him took over and he reported,

"Besides, that would be impossible since EPS is down to _barest_ minimum. I've had to divert _all_ of it to maintain Cloak integrity. Our problem is that the Cloak is currently at 90 efficiency and _falling_. When it drops to 35, in just under 2 hours, they will be able to maintain viable lock on us." Potter's turn was next,

"I have analyzed the Sensor logs of the collision and determined that that was not a naturally occurring phenomenon. I believe it was a _terawatt_ level pulse from a Dynamic Tesla Projector. I suspected this was the case when Pr'gn informed me that all the Flux Resistors in the Computer cores had overloaded. On top of that, only the Ceramic Magnets in the Antimatter Pods are preventing a _main_ _core breach_. Our Secondary Core remains largely unaffected and it is at capacity. Due to safety considerations, it is the only reactor we have _on-line_. I theorize that the pulse came from below us and it was aimed directly at Main Engineering. The fact that the pulse was not completely _collimated_, along with our being in low orbit with Shields up, is why we are still alive." Jarrad then addressed his Chief Engineer,

"Pr'gn, can you see any possible way out of this mess?"

"With the computers _off-line_, all _automated systems_ are down. We do have 1 alternative, but you're not going to like it, Sir." Pr'gn replied apologetically while shifting again. Jarrad stroked his beard as he contemplated all the possible courses of action. Suddenly realizing which one Pr'gn was referring to, he blinked in surprise with a start, saying,

"You don't mean…?" He began. Pr'gn nodded. They both finished the thought simultaneously,

"Manually."

"Great, now I'm starting to think like him." Jarrad mumbled _sotto voce_. Larr was the only one who heard him and stopped pouting long enough to crack a small smile. As Pr'gn was shifting again, Larr suddenly slapped the table and called out his name. A startled Chief Engineer jumped in his seat, causing a brief look of agony to sweep across his face. He quickly recovered and replied, annoyed,

"What!" Seemingly oblivious to Pr'gn's predicament, the Intelligence Chief asked,

"You've been bragging to me all week about the new TOE pack that was just installed on the _STORMBRINGER_. That it was now so '_tricked out_' it is probably powerful enough to hold its own against a _fully loaded_ R'AHL-class Wayfarer. Could we use that Pack as a stand in Computer Core?" Pr'gn shook his head slowly and responded to his Prince,

"No. The _Tactical Optical Electro_ booster packs are designed to _enhance existing systems_ only." He then brightened as he concluded, "But we _can_ use the Pack to boost EPS efficiency. We may also be able to use it to _boost_ the ODN network for the Wayfarer _ELRIC_ so we can use _its_ computer core! One small problem, a procedure like this would normally have to be done with all systems running _cold_. Since we don't have that luxury, I will have to install _running parallel bypasses_ down each _dedicated hardline_. I estimate this will take at least a couple hours." Everyone glanced at Potter, hoping for a more accurate–and shorter–timetable.

"He's correct." The First Officer intoned, _matter-of-factly_. Jarrad took this as his cue to jump to his feet and order,

"This plan takes precedence over everything else for everybody except for Lieutenant Barco. Pr'gn, you have my standing approval and authority to use any resource necessary. Dismissed, let's do it!"

Captain's Log; Stardate: 48998.3. The _TANELORN_ is ready for her mad dash home. That's the good news. The bad is that the only thing that seems to be left intact by our jury-rigging seems to be her nameplate. Our return trip at warp 2 should take us a couple weeks to reach friendly territory. If Pr'gn and Conidi hadn't considered tinkering with the third warp engine and second warp core, we'd be making the trip at half impulse, which could take years. My due recognition and admiration is extended to the crew for actions above and beyond the call of duty. I have heard it said that God watches over fools and children. Right now, I feel so foolish that I made such a childish mistake; I hope that qualifies us for a double blessing somewhere along the line. We could certainly use it right about now.

(After O'Camp and Dermon inspect the captured scout, O'Camp and Hersh go to interview the pilot, who attacks them and injures Hersh. O'Camp them assembles an away team including several key officers from the _GALLOWAY_. All are chosen for experience with Romulan matters and surgically altered to look Romulan. They take the captured Warbird _KIITRAS_ to effect a rescue since they have figured the original rescue mission was a trap)

"Admiral, we have two Warbirds approaching us…that's odd!" Conidi announced from Ops. Jarrad sighed and said,

"Mr. Conidi, we are in orbit around the Romulan homeworld and we're _not_ supposed to be. Since for the moment we are _probably visible_, it's no surprise that they'd come after us. Commander Silver, transfer appropriate power to the Torpedo launcher." Conidi continued as he tapped more keys on his panel,

"Sir, one of the Warbirds' _shield harmonics_ are fluctuating and it appears to have some sort of pattern. I'm buffering the pattern through the Universal Translator. I was right; it's a message in _binary code_ that reads PRO1824. I believe that that D'daridex may be the _KIITRAS_ with Captain O'Camp in command."

"PRO1824 led you to ascertain that? Elucidate please." Potter queried.

"In the Federation Interlingua Revised Standard Text, or FIRST Bible, it's a reference to a scripture. The book of Proverbs, chapter 18, verse 24 reads '_There is a Friend that sticks closer than a Brother_'. The conclusion is speculation on my part." Nodding, Jarrad glanced at his Ship's Chaplain and acknowledged,

"Good work Commander. Silver, lock Photons on the other vessel." T'Sear suddenly announced,

"Incoming transmission from the _KIITRAS_ on an _open channel_."

"On screen." Potter directed. Jarrad stood to make a show of confronting O'Camp for the benefit of all other parties monitoring the open channel. As soon as the screen _winked_ on, he was immediately sorry he had stood. He suddenly remembered where he had met the young Operations officer before the _TANELORN_ assignment. He also now knew why the memory of that Romulan Major had been nagging him for so long. The reason for both was now staring him in the face in 3D Technicolor courtesy of the Viewscreen. Jarrad barely recognized O'Camp. Now that he was _clean-shaven_ and had the black wig on, the difference was amazing. The '_Romulan headache_' prosthesis made the deception absolute. Maintaining a poker face, O'Camp/Khariyyg spoke,

"This is Colonel Khariyyg of the Tal Shiar, you are hereby ordered to surrender your vessel and crew unconditionally to my authority. You and your crew will be interrogated and the responsible parties will be dealt with accordingly. The rest will be delivered to a suitable Neutral Authority, as the innocent should not have to pay for the crimes of their superiors. Furthermore, your vessel will be confiscated as a prize to our superiority." Jarrad's face was a mask of shock due to the unexpected revelation. This made it easy to make his expression one of barely contained hatred as he hissed through clenched teeth,

"Terms _understood_ and _agreed_ to."

As O'Camp/Khariyyg was delivering his _monologue_, T'Sear whispered to Potter,

"Captain Potter, the transmission is being _piggybacked_ by a Telemetry request for our Situation Report." Well aware that he was in the Main Viewer's visual field, Potter made a show of scratching his head to give her a discreet _thumbs-up_. A brief moment after Jarrad completed his response, the O'Camp/Khariyyg persona suddenly looked at something off-screen. The image's expression went to one of surprise as he exclaimed,

"**_WHAT_**!" Another familiar voice off-screen from the _KIITRAS_ repeated as Silver announced the same simultaneously,

"Other Warbird is powering up Forward Disruptor Banks!"

_**KIITRAS**_

"_TANELORN_ is in Reduced Power Mode and her Computers are down. Her Phasers are off-line, Torpedoes and Shields are limited." T'Kay responded to Scott's request as to the _TANELORN's_ status. Scott then began barking orders,

"Order the _ARRICO_ to _stand down_ or we will open fire. Mr. Frall, prepare Disruptors and target key areas on that Warbird. Mr. Sipal, bring us about into _standard attack posture_ against the _ARRICO_." Amid the chaos, T'Kay reported calmly,

"The ARRICO has a _weapons lock_ on us."

"**_OPEN FIRE_**!" O'Camp and Scott cried out simultaneously, as the blast struck the KIITRAS. Frustrated, Frall replied as a shower of sparks jumped from his station,

"Impossible, the _ARRICO_ has taken up position behind the _TANELORN_. Tactical is temporarily down as well"

"_TANELORN_ has fired five torpedoes, causing _moderate_ damage, and is now jockeying for position." T'Kay monitored. O'Camp turned to Frall and nearly shouted,

"Once the Flagship is clear, commence _saturation_ firing pattern!" The Ensign looked up from his panel, shook his head, and frowned apologetically,

"Sorry Captain, Tactical is still out." O'Camp looked toward the ceiling and mouthed the word '_Help_' as Scott instinctively reached for her nonexistent Combadge. She then punched the **INTERCOM** key on the Command Seat's armrest, cleared her throat and called out,

"Bridge to Engineering, Dogh, we need Tactical…**_NOW_**!" The Klingon replied with a terse and gruff,

"Working." In an attempt to alleviate the tension, O'Camp quipped,

"Gee, someone sounds happy." To which Scott remarked dryly,

"What do you expect? He's trying to _save_ a Romulan ship." T'Kay interrupted,

"Captain, I am detecting an _unusual energy pattern_ that I am unfamiliar with on the _TANELORN_." O'Camp nimbly vaulted the railing around her station and glanced at her monitor. After a moment, he exclaimed in disbelief, the tone in his voice sending chills down Scott's back,

"**_NO WAY_**!"

_**TANELORN**_

The _controlled chaos_ of the bridge was _almost_ palpable. Jarrad watched in silent admiration at his new crew's efficiency during the crisis. He had already input the Command Authorization to bring the new model B Atomizer on-line. He silently observed for the next thirty seconds as the Alliance Star Corp's '_one-shot wonder_' was prepped for discharge. A _kinetic field charge_ was built up in the Warp Core, and then the Atomizer's _relay linkage_ introduced the _static bubble_ into a _non-resolution transporter matrix buffer_. As the Subspace Field began to intensify and cause the matrix to destabilize, the matrix was then cycled through a _trilithium filter_ as a _discharge maintenance factor_. Silver announced from Tactical and Pr'gn concurred from Engineering that everything was a _go_. Silver attempted to attain _target lock_ on Potter's order, and announced,

"The _ARRICO_ is too high and she's bringing Disruptors to bear on the Bridge!" Kierns added,

"With the diversion of power to the Atomizer, Helm is now _unresponsive_. I'm unable to _compensate_ using Maneuvering Thrusters!" All attention was suddenly arrested by Conidi as he groaned,

"Uh oh, look at the screen." There was a chorus of astonished gasps as the bridge crew stared in fascination at the scene before them. The _KIITRAS_ was bearing down on the _ARRICO_ on what appeared to be a _collision course_!

_**KIITRAS**_

"Steady as she goes, Lieutenant. The trick to playing '_chicken_' is knowing when to flinch and _we aren't going to_." O'Camp addressed Sipal, his voice steady but tight. For a brief moment, The _ARRICO_ loomed larger than life in the Viewer, filling it. It seemed like the instant before impact, all of the _ARRICO's_ _dorsal thruster units_ fired, dropping the D'daridex into the _TANELORN_'s _line of fire_. O'Camp was _almost_ able to _count_ the number of thrusters fired…they were _that_ close! An instant later, they were clear of the other Warbird and Scott ordered hoarsely,

"Aft view." The screen shifted to a view of a pearlescent, luminescent beam _lancing_ out from the Alliance's flagship to _envelop_ the Senatorial Courier. When the beam encountered the vessel's Shields, they _flared_ briefly. As the beam began to dissipate, its target quickly lost _pattern integrity_. Within a moment, _both_ had vanished. O'Camp hung his head, shook it, and sighed,

"What a waste!" An awestruck Scott could only whisper,

"_THAT_ was the Atomizer?"

It took another hour, but the _KIITRAS_ finally got _underway_ with the _TANELORN_ in tow. By matching Shield Harmonics and then _extending_ them around each other, they were able to create a _null_ Subspace Field between the two vessels. This was necessary in order to establish a viable Tractor Beam lock for the return trip. The lock had to maintain _absolute_ integrity during the long trip at Warp Speeds and the _null_ space was the only _conducive environment_. With a Power Transfer Beam in effect, the _KIITRAS_ was able to _augment_ the _TANELORN's_ available power. Due to this, they were able to increase their velocity to Warp 5. At this rate, it was estimated that they would be home in four days, barring any _more_ surprises.

The Grand Fleet admiral, or '_Grand Poobah_' as he liked to refer to his position, sat at the head of the Conference Table. He propped his feet up on it and silently watched the stars go by, his mood contemplative.

15 minutes later, the senior staff began to arrive. Larrgn-Z entered first, spun his chair around and straddled it. Jarrad called the meeting to order by addressing Pr'gn,

"I know that we were _cold cocked_ by the Atomizer discharge; aside from that, where do we stand? Can she be salvaged?" Pr'gn gave his Commanding Officer a condescending smile and spoke,

"Believe it or not, except for _moderate radiation damag_e–including Life Support Systems–on the decks above and below the Atomizer, we're in surprisingly good shape. In fact, if we didn't _need_ Warp Power, we could kill the Power Transfer right now. For some reason, the _new_ Atomizer-Engineering setup we have doesn't debilitate ship's systems nearly as bad as the _old_ one. Before we had basically a '_one-shot wonder_', followed by a complete _across-the-board_ systemic refit. What we have now is, by my calculations, pretty much a _three-shot_ deal, followed by an _elective_ minor overhaul. Our EPS and MHD primaries are going to require a simple _main junction swap out_. Plus the Warp-Core Plasma Initiators are going to have to be _retuned_ and _aligned_ manually."

(During the _TANELORN_'s absence, a Nortanian Diplomatic courier and its escorts arrive. Dermon sends out the freshly completed _CYGNUS_ to greet it with Hersh in command since Dermon is otherwise occupied. After Hersh transports over to the courier, there is some confusion about equipment failure aboard the _CYGNUS_ and the Nortanian ships proceed to the Spacedock. By the time another craft can get to the _CYGNUS_' location, it has disappeared. Determined to find out where his ship has gone, Dermon leaves aboard the courier with Hersh moments behind in the _MERCY_. It turns out that a rebel spy led the skeleton crew aboard the _CYGNUS_ and they hijacked the ship after Hersh's departure. Following a brief yet furious battle, they boarded and reclaimed the _CYGNUS_. Along with the sabotage, the ship takes moderate damage in the process.)

It had been 9 hours since the return of the _TANELORN_ and still no sign of the _MERCY_. Earlier that morning, Admiral F. Prescott Westlake had beamed up from the Fleet Development Center's embassy to lend a hand. O'Camp was in command of the Spacedock in Dermon's absence and they needed someone to man Operations. Mainframe was busy assisting Captain McCollin on the repairs to the _TANELORN_ since Pr'gn had been given Command of the Destroyer _CHEROKEE_ to find the missing ship. Because of this, Captain O'Camp had asked the middle-aged Ambassador for help. Since he had been the Deputy Director of Starfleet HQ Operations, Westlake made no bones about the fact that he had probably forgotten more about the profession than Brian had ever known.

RIDING SILENT THUNDER PART II-THE RECKONING

ALTERNATE TITLES: DEAD RECKONING, DRAKMÄRMAGEDDON

**(Note: The following is an excerpt of the TRAIL OF TEARS incident which details the final mission of the DAV CHEROKEE NCC-18003 under the command of Star Corps Commander Pr'gn and the heroic measures taken by the crew to salvage the craft and mission following pre-mission sabotage of the Destroyer's portside warp engine nacelle. This text has been composed from eyewitness interviews and now declassified log entries. Investigation in this matter is now closed yet the details remain sealed in the interest of Alliance security)**

_**CHEROKEE**_

"Captain, I am detecting a focused _anti-gravimetric interference pattern_ that does not appear to be _naturally occurring_. It may be a Tractor Beam, and it seems to be pursuing a_ linear course_ within plotted Shadowland lanes" Te'ana-L announced from the _CHEROKEE's_ Ops station. Pr'gn rose from his position, supervising the Engineering diagnostic, and ordered while striding to the Command Chair,

"Plot the course and execute" he then sighed and tapped the **INTERCOM **key on the chair's armrest, raised his voice and spoke,

"All hands, all stations, this is the Captain speaking; report to _Battlestations_! RED ALERT!" He then turned to Lieutenant Antuur-S at Tactical and requested,

"Shields up, arm Phasers and load Photons" As he complied, Pr'gn addressed the officer at the Helm,

"Lieutenant, once we approach Tactical Acquisition range, I want you to assume a Conical Heading _into_ the Shadowlands to ensure us the advantage"

"Sir, assuming a Warp speed Conical Heading into the Shadowlands while at Battlestations will cause at least a 10 degradation in the Warp Field Generators." reported Ops. The Engineer replied,

"I am aware of that Ensign, but thank you...How long until intercept?"

"Since that section curves away from us, 24 minutes, sir" came the reply.

Twenty minutes later, the Vulcan Helmsman announced,

"Initiating Conical Heading now, we will be in Sensor range in 3 minutes" Pr'gn knew that the other ships would be taken by surprise as the _CHEROKEE's_ scanners had been calibrated for the specific mission and knew to look and what for. The others did not.

"Divert power from Transporters to augment Structural Integrity Field and Inertial Dampeners" Pr'gn authorized. Minutes later, Antuur-S reported,

"We are approaching Tactical Range now!"

"Full impulse, on Screen" The Commander replied. The screen _winked_ on to reveal a startling scene: dropping out of warp, the _TREENOR_ was towing the _CYGNUS_, while being escorted by 2 Nortanian Paladins. The _MERCY_ was leading the pack towing a third Paladin that was missing a wing. Pr'gn turned to face the Tactical Station while saying,

"Hail the..." but was interrupted by an _alert_ tone from the station's panel. The Drakmärian Lieutenant Junior Grade frowned and glanced at his panel. As he glanced back up, his upswept eyebrows arched as he announced,

"No need, sir; they're hailing us" without moving, Pr'gn pointed a thumb toward the Main Viewscreen. Commodore Antoné Hersh appeared, slouching in the MERCY's Center Seat. He appeared haggard but alert and smiled wearily as he spoke,

"You guys are a sight for sore eyes...ah, Pr'gn, aren't you _supposed_ to be out getting the _TANELORN_ in and out of more trouble than it's worth again?" The Engineer returned the smile saying,

"Been there, done that; I decided to try something _really_ challenging and see what kind of trouble I could get _you_ out of for once" the fatigued Commodore winced at the Junior Officer's good-natured barb and tightened his expression to emphasize the seriousness of his next comment,

"Well then, I _hope_ that you've brought more than a _few_ Engineers along, because we're going to _need_ them" as Pr'gn peered over Te'ana's shoulder at the Ops readout of the _sensor sweep_ of the _CYGNUS_, his eyes widened as he responded,

"Confirmed, _CHEROKEE_ out" he then faced his First Officer and stated,

"Gigi, they need me over there, so the _CHEROKEE_ is yours" Lieutenant Gracie Goodman nodded her acknowledgment and addressed Antuur,

"_Stand down_ Red Alert, secure from Battlestations"

An hour later, they were again underway. This time, the _MERCY_ was towing the crippled _CYGNUS_, the _CHEROKEE_ was taking the lead and the _TREENOR_ was bringing up the rear with her escorts flanking. The damaged Paladin was now being towed by the _TREENOR_. Pr'gn had reorganized the repair efforts into 10 double team 1/2 hour rotational shifts. This meant that at any given time, there were 5 teams _on task_ with 5 teams taking a break but monitoring progress and switching off every 30 minutes. The new schedule was more efficient and halfway through the second day the _CYGNUS_ was underway at warp 3.5 under her own power. The fact that his ship was faring so much _better_ pleased Dermon to no end and he resumed command when Pr'gn returned to the _CHEROKEE_. Back in his _own_ _element_, Dermon actually came up with a way to get the Paladin back under it's own power. Hersh and Pr'gn came up with a plan to remove the _other_ wing, but Dermon took pity on the ship's commander. He _rebuilt_ the Warp Engine using parts from nearly a _dozen_ of the _TREENOR's_ Starburst torpedoes. As he rebuilt the engine, Dermon took extensive notes on Nortanian Engineering, fully realizing how _important_ those notes would soon become to his career plans.

Commander's log; Stardate: 49001.3. I am taking the _CHEROKEE_ back to the Spacedock early. The engineering teams I left aboard the _CYGNUS_ have the problem well in hand so I can get back to my _TANELORN_. I will only beat them by 1 1/2 hours, but I prefer my department to my own command. Knowing my luck, someone in one of those highfalutin' councils will use this experience as an excuse to give me my own command. We will exit the Shadowlands in 15 hours and be home 25 minutes later.

"Commander, I'm getting some _unusual_ _readings_ from the Port Warp Nacelle." Te'ana reported over the _intercom_ to Pr'gn. He was in the Ready Room poring over the project logs of the _TANELORN-A_ construction and _appending_ them as he saw fit. The call interrupted his _thirtieth_ page of notes, and it was only then that he noted how tired his hands were from the writing. Pr'gn made his way to the Engineering Console on the Bridge where he noticed the problem as well,

"One of the Nacelle Elements wasn't seated properly and the _high-field falloff_ from these _plasma clouds_ is compounding the problem. Lean down the Intermix Ratio and boost the Subspace Field by 3 1/2. That should get us home in one piece. I don't want to run the risk of not being able to restart that engine and then having the _CYGNUS_ tow us home." The comment elicited the desired round of chuckles on the rather cramped Bridge. When she had completed the requested modifications, the Ops officer commented,

"I don't like the way the _stabilization rate_ keeps fluctuating, I'm going to increase the Coolant Manifold Pressure by 1/3." Pr'gn looked at the readout in question with his usual thoughtful wince for a moment and nodded. It was not the _standard procedure_, but this was not _his_ crew and he did not feel the need to have them under his thumb. He smiled and replied,

"Keep an eye on it though; I've got a reputation to uphold you know." That elicited the round of laughter he was looking for. All except for Togur, who glanced at him from the Helm with a Potter-esque raised eyebrow for a moment and then added a couple flat emotionless laughs before returning to his station.

"Engineering to Bridge, we've got a problem down here."

"Confirmed, I'm on my way. Pr'gn out. Gigi you have the Bridge. Maintain Course and Heading and keep me apprised of any news." As he made his way to his destination, Pr'gn mused that the distance he had to walk to _get_ to Engineering in the Destroyer was _less_ than the length of the _entire_ Engineering Section of the _TANELORN_.

"Captain on deck!" The Lunärian who was acting as his Chief of Engineering for this mission announced as he approached. The being was _on loan_ from the Royal Rangers' Engineering Corps and was _all_ business. She was being groomed for a Unit Command and Pr'gn was to evaluate her performance, and she knew it. Pr'gn could not remember her name due to its length, but knew her _nickname_. It was based from her _clan_ being the same as Xark's from the _LARRGN-Z_ along with a _ten_ letter long Family Name that started with 'V'.

"As you were T-V, what seems to be the problem?" The adopted Drakmärian was motioned over to a station where a Nortanian was seated.

"There's a _plasma storm_ at 348 mark 5 and as we approach our problem gets steadily worse. We've done several Simulations and have determined that we have a _field impedance buildup_ in that nacelle." The Lunärian reported. Pr'gn sighed,

"What is the Field Equivalency Value?" The Nortanian did some quick calculations and replied with an _almost_ puzzled tone,

"7.3498989898 to infinity, sir. But, how is that possible with only the _impedance_ building up?" Pr'gn pointed at the monitor and was about to answer when he forgot the proper _address_ for a Level 4 Non-Commissioned Officer in the Militia. He covered up his mistake by putting on a sly smile and looking _obliquely_ at T-V,

"By all means Corporal, _enlighten_ your subordinate."

"Well Sub-4, the _falloff_ is being created by the Plasma Field and the storm creates unusual intensity. Since all plasma burns at a constant _wavelength_, the improper seating of the Element is causing the _field controllers_ to detect the _improper ionization level_ of the _non-regulated plasma_. The net result is that it is stuck trying to automatically _re-enrich_ the plasma, and it _perceives_ the _external field_ as _resistance_." She instructed _matter-of-factly_ as the other being followed along by monitoring the readouts.

"The value goes up by .01 every 20 minutes. We have to keep the Warp Value at the next hundredth round digit for the remainder of our flight." As Pr'gn informed the Bridge of the plan, the Lunärian made some more calculations. She _double-checked_ her conclusions and faced her Commanding Officer coming to full _attention_ as she addressed him,

"Permission to brainstorm freely, sir."

"As a _department head_, always, T-V."

"The _incremental value_ of our Warp Field will cause increased _subspace field stress_ on the Reaction Chamber. We may wind up with Field Integrity loss or overload so I'd like to establish a _backup plan_."

"You're referring to _explosive removal_ of the Nacelle Pylon? Excellent idea. I was just considering that _possibility_ myself…leave it to you Ranger types to figure out how to use _munitions_ to _solve_ a problem."

"Sir I wasn't trying to..."

"Oh I know your motto is: '_there is no problem so great that it can't be solved by suitable application of quantum torpedoes_' am I right or what?"

"Actually ours is '_Fury of the Finest_' for what it's worth." The Lunärian replied to the Engineer's tease.

Pr'gn was in his own _domain_, the Chief Engineer's office, mulling intently over their _predicament_. He was honestly _stumped_. He had done _every_ scan he could think of as well as run a _complete_ diagnostic. No good. The main reason he was at a loss was these _mass-produced_ parts were designed to go together the same as a child's _joining toy_. Each unit was _prefabricated_, and _nobody_ on his staff was so _incompetent_ as to make such a _simple_ _mistake_. Something _niggled_ in the back of his mind and he tried focusing on it right as there was a _chime_ at his office door. T-V stood there in an Engineering Protective Jumpsuit. Her helmet was in one hand and a Tricorder in the other. Her expression was grim as Pr'gn gestured her in. He waited while she strode in, came to _attention_ at his desk, announced herself and that she was '_reporting as ordered._'

"Sir we have a problem. I went into the Nacelle Serviceway and did some scans from there. Most were _inconclusive_ yet again. Actually all but one. I got innovative when I redid the High Band Acoustic Resonance Frequency scan and switched from _phasic_ to _polarity shift_ scan and came up an _unusual_ result." Pr'gn gestured for her to hand him the Tricorder as his fingers danced over the office's miniature System Display/Monitor. The Lunärian continued, "Magnetic band of _spectrum_ from the HiBARF scan reveals a _transporter trace_. Rate of _decay_ indicates an _event_ occurred approximately 4 hours _before_ Mission Launch. My _imaging_ indicates that the unit was not merely seated improperly; it _appears_ to have been _reversed_. Sir with a Magnetic Transport wouldn't the _entire_ nacelle show signs of _polarity microstresses_ from the intense _energy wash_?" Pr'gn shook his head,

"Not necessarily Corporal, if it were done from _inside_ the _CHEROKEE_. All you'd have to do is use a Tricorder as an _imaging scanner_, connect it to an Emitter Pad, and use a Phaser as a _power source_. The first Cargo Transporters were just a Scanner, Emitter and Power Source. The first Transporter Pads were just _degaussing units_. Thing is, such a transport would take _several_ minutes. T-V, call up the Engineering Diagnostic Log from 1430 on today's Stardate of 49001.7 and examine the EPS portion please." Minutes later, she replied that there were no _anomalies_ and the diagnostic was _by the book_. Pr'gn winced and announced,

"Then we have a problem, I _never_ do that section _by the book_. I took a cue from Commodore Dermon and only do the _odd-numbered_ banks until I hit number 7, and then I do the next 3 _even-numbered_ units so I can _spot-check_ the backups. That means I don't have to enter the Jeffrie's Tube and take the Plasma Coolant Manifold Junction _off-line_ to pull it so I can check them from the _other_ side. This way is quicker and easier but is _not generally accepted_ and is not reflected in this diagnostic even though I _personally_ signed off on it within _moments_ of downloading my PADD."

"Then we need to do a Magnetic Trace Scan of _everyone_ aboard to determine who our _saboteur_ is." T-V stated and Pr'gn nodded grimly.

"Start by reconfiguring the Internal Sensors as we don't need to alert the _saboteur_ or upset everyone if they're not aboard currently."

Pr'gn woke with a start. He was momentarily confused by the unfamiliar surroundings, but the return of the headache he had been nursing was a fresh reminder of the _predicament_. He glanced at the chronometer and groaned. The last thing he _remembered_ doing was ordering lunch. That had been 2-3 hours ago and the meal lay on his desk _half-eaten_! Still groggy, he strode out of the office to check on the situation's progress. He was nearly bowled over by T-V as the massive alien sneaked a peek around the corner.

"My apologies sir, you didn't respond to the hail from the Bridge so I wanted to ensure you had received it." Pr'gn groaned inwardly. The _page_ had probably been what had _awakened_ him, and he had neglected to check his messages. Now he felt foolish as well as clueless. He shook his head to clear it and glanced at the nearby monitors to see whether he could glean any pertinent _information_ from them. It proved to be a futile effort but mercifully, T-V took it as some bizarre operational '_pop-quiz_' to be evaluated. She came to attention and reported,

"Sir, the Bridge reports there is no way to avoid the storm short of accelerating _beyond_ tolerances. Simulations indicate we can do this, but the _margin of error _is slight even if we max out the Structural Integrity and Inertial Dampening Fields. To avoid over stressing the hull, we will approach the storm on a _perpendicular approach_ and then do a _micro-warp jump_ past the storm while only increasing the Field Tolerance on the Starboard Nacelle."

"At ease Corporal. Show me." The Commander gestured with his head toward the Main Systems Display. The female Royal Ranger growled something in her native Lunärian, and a series of displays '_chirp-chirped_' compliance, switching from _static_ System Readouts to a series of spooling _dynamic_ Simulations. As they approached, the Engineer noticed that the same Nortanian was still sitting in the same chair he had been in _before_ Pr'gn entered the office over 8 hours ago. Pr'gn joked casually,

"Let me guess, one of three things: You're trying to impress someone with your dedication to your Duty Station, you're just coming on- or off-duty, or you're trying to win the Alliance record for endurance sitting?" The level 4 NCO looked up, startled and nearly stammered in nervousness,

"No sir, I've only been on duty for 10 hours. I still have 15 left to go. I only need 4-6 hours of sleep for every 36 hours, so I'm required to pull a _triple-shift_, and then I get a full day off." T-V leaned over and murmured into Pr'gn's ear,

"Fresh from the Academy as of last week and has First Assignment jitters." For the next 10 minutes, the two discussed the simulations. Just then, an idea occurred to Pr'gn and he said,

"T-V you're with me, there may yet be _another_ option." As he passed the Warp Core on his way out of Engineering he addressed a Drakmärian who was stationed at the Warp Nacelle Systems Monitor and delegated, "LT Conerrti, you're Officer of the Deck. Make sure my Nortanian friend there doesn't slack off." He winked at the last part and confirmed the Nortanian saw it and knew he was teasing. Minutes later, as they arrived at the Bridge, T-V entered first according to _protocol_, came to _attention_ and bellowed,

"Captain on the bridge!" Everyone on the bridge _snapped_ to _attention_. Pr'gn had been following a little _too_ closely and had forgotten that _particular_ protocol. As a result, his ear had _only_ been a couple feet from the Lunärian's mouth during the announcement. The Engineer paused to rub his ear for a moment until the _ringing_ abated. He then noted that everyone was still at _attention_ and said,

"As you were." Pr'gn then turned to the Ops station and asked,

"If I remember my Shadowlands navigation course, these _storms only travel as fast as the most excited particles_ which are _always at the lead event horizon_, correct?" Te'ana nodded,

"Aye, sir." Pr'gn then ordered,

"Reset the Main Deflector to emit a _plasma wavelength beam_ at the _lowest frequency possible_. Be sure to maintain _saturation_ at our _operating median amplitude_. Togur, you're temporarily _relieved_ as I want this to be _my_ responsibility." Pr'gn eased himself into the vacated Helm and immediately took the _CHEROKEE_ to Maximum Warp as he concluded, "Antuur, drop shields." There was a murmur of _surprise_ all around until Goodman announced from the Center Seat,

"I see what he's doing."

"Ops, plot me a course _equidistant_ between the _leading edge_ of the storm and the _wall_ of this tunnel." Immediately after Te'ana indicated completion, Pr'gn concluded his request. "Thank you, now please overlay it on the Main Viewer." As they approached the storm, Pr'gn made some minor course corrections. With the Shields down, Life Support and the Inertial Dampening and Structural Integrity Fields were all being _taxed_ to their _limits_. The storm rapidly _filled_ one side of the Viewer. The plasma heat or the tension of the moment was beginning to have its effect. They _all_ began to sweat. From the Center Seat, Goodman felt the Destroyer begin to _shiver_ as they encountered the _physical energy waves_ coming off the storm. Due to the size of the storm, it would take them _several seconds_ to get past it even at _maximum warp_. Right as they got to the point where they were actually _in front of_ the _perimeter flowing edge_ of the storm, they could actually see '_tongues_' of plasma being _cast away_ by the fury of the storm. Despite the _distance_, one of these got _too close_ to the _CHEROKEE_ before _burning itself out_ and an _alarm_ went off on one of the consoles. Pr'gn was so _intent_ in his task that he was not sure who was reporting as he absorbed the information.

"The _prominence_ blew out one of the sensors for the Nacelle Ignition Sequencers. The Sequencer failed to _reinitialize_, and the stream is now _out of alignment_. Due to this, the _nacelle plasma_ is on the verge of _deionizing_. The Intermix Ratio is rapidly _dropping_ which is causing the Coolant Manifold Pressure to _increase_. Our Warp Field Integrity is also _dropping_ and taking our speed with it. Subspace Field is now in _imminent danger of collapse_!" Without thinking, Pr'gn proceeded roll the beleaguered starship 180° until it was clear of the storm. From the First Officer's chair, Togur intoned,

"That was innovative." Pr'gn relinquished the Helm back and addressed the lady in his chair,

"Gigi, don't get too comfortable. I'm going to go do a diagnostic, and I'll be back for my seat." Goodman chuckled as the remainder of the Bridge crew groaned in response to his wanting to partake in his consistently _favorite_ pastime. As the Engineer reached the door, he gestured for T-V to accompany him and she replied,

"I'll be with you in a moment sir. This terminal has to be reset as it's not reading the Port Nacelle." Pr'gn did not even get 5 meters before he heard a shout from behind him through the closed Bridge door. An instant later, he was thrown to the ground by a muffled explosion from that direction and all the lights went out in his section. In the moment before the Emergency Lights came on, a dazed Pr'gn noted peripherally that the lights in the next section were fine. He grabbed an Emergency Supply Kit from a wall console and ran to the door. The door failed to open and did not respond to the _actuator control_ in the wall or the _emergency attachment paddle_ from his kit. He was preparing to tap his communicator to contact the Bridge occupants when there was a loud succession of several rhythmic bangs. There was the loud _groan_ of metal on metal, and the door began to move, centimeter by centimeter. Once it had opened far enough, T-V peeked out and said,

"Internal communications are down; have the Bridge crew transported to Sickbay." Without thinking, Pr'gn tapped his badge and realized that T-V was right. It was then that the full _effect_ of what the Lunärian had said came into focus. The Engineer went to the next section's nearest Communications Panel at a _dead run_. Once he had made the call and the Doctor had confirmed transport, Pr'gn trotted over to Sickbay. Right as he was rounding the last corner, he nearly collided with T-V for the _second_ time that day. Pr'gn opened his mouth to speak but T-V, obviously in _much_ pain, beat him to it,

"My apologies sir but we must get to Engineering _stat_. The EPS Primary just behind the Bridge has failed and the Secondary is leaking heavily due to our _modifications_ from the Nacelle problem. The Port field isn't _collapsing_ as we'd thought and as it _increases_, the _network field ratio algorithm_ is transferring the additional Cochrane value to the Waveguide Converters." Pr'gn groaned,

"So even though our Subspace Field is rapidly _losing_ integrity, we are still _accelerating_. Did you try contacting Engineering?" T-V indicated that she had tried to no avail. When they entered Engineering, the scene before them stopped them in their tracks. The Main Barrier was down, and the crew was _still inside_. Pr'gn looked over to where the Nortanian had been sitting and saw him _slumped_ over his Station. With an effort, he reached over to a section of his Panel and tapped a few buttons. Before he slumped back down, he pointed a finger at Pr'gn and nodded. The adopted Drakmärian looked over at T-V who was sitting at the Station to which the Nortanian had _transferred_ his Terminal. T-V announced, her voice was tight yet firm,

"They were in the process of _ejecting_ the Warp Core when Life Support began to fail in this area; they sealed Engineering off to preserve _atmosphere_ for the rest of the ship as they continued their task."

"While they are in there we have to come up with _another_ option. We are less than 5 minutes from exiting the Shadowlands. Prepare your plan for _explosive removal of the damaged nacelle_." Pr'gn replied with a determined set to his jaw. Pr'gn sat down next to her and as she busied herself with her task, Pr'gn began preparing his ship for the task. _It was not as beautiful as the _TANELORN_, but this crew had been through a lot in the past day, and he was beginning to think of them as family…his family. This venture had taught him two things; one: he was tired of space travel for a while and two: there was something he actually _liked _about having command…figure that_! T-V broke into his thoughts by interjecting,

"_Nacelle removal program_ complete and awaiting your order, Captain. Is there anywhere you want this aimed?" Pr'gn was looking at the Monitor above his Terminal and watching as it showed them leaving the Shadowlands. He shook his head and started to say,

"Just make it _deep spa_…" but stopped abruptly at the image he saw on the scanners. The Durkin net _defensive satellite network_ had encased the entire system in a translucent cloud. The Engineer knew this '_cloud_' was employed as a protective measure against Cloaked attackers. Silhouetted against that cloud were the unmistakable outlines of two Jerichan Fatherships! Sensors also indicated the presence of _high-energy discharges_ in the vicinity of Drakmär IV! In the back of his mind Pr'gn noted no active Subspace Field from the outermost _terraformed_ colony of Ch'gr but there were definite battle scars on key sections of the installation. His countenance darkening, Pr'gn snarled while indicating the aft area of the lead Fathership,

"Correction, _right there_!" With a humorless grin, T-V concurred and complied, while murmuring,

"You know sir, there may be hope for you yet you're starting to think like a Striker." The two comrades watched as the damaged Nacelle separated from its Pylon with a _suddenness_ that shook the whole ship. The _system reaction_ aboard the CHEROKEE was _immediate_. They not only _dropped out_ of Warp, but _went adrift_ as well. The _manifold block_ on the Nacelle Pylon _failed_ under the _sudden release of pressure_ and Main Power failed as all the plasma was _vented_ into space. The _overload_ caused the Primary ODN _system trunk_ to _collapse_; this had a _cascade effect across the ship_. The _CHEROKEE_ had _died_ within Transporter reach of the _monitoring station_ on Ch'gr and neither crew had working transporters. The released Nacelle did its intended task with cold quiet efficiency. The aft Fathership managed to activate its Phase-cloak, but the Nacelle's _hyper-saturated_ Subspace Field combined with the proximity of the other Fathership's explosion _still_ managed to destroy the vessel. As the crew awaited their fate, Pr'gn detailed his thoughts on the contents of his report to T-V's superiors. The Lunärian did not exactly agree with all of the officer's insights but understood that was the difference in being a leader. For example, while working on the Flagship construction, he insisted that all his Department Heads wear a clean uniform and report to him after performing inspections at regular intervals. He had demanded no less than excellent ratings from everyone on the project and once disciplined 91 people for less than professional disposition while on-duty. The senior officers had tried to get leniency by claiming they were just relieving stress. He had replied it was not a high-stress situation and they should found a more appropriate time and place for their antics. On the other hand, when Dermon had insisted the _CYGNUS_ be able to proceed under its own power as soon as possible, it was a different story. The team rebuilding the Waveguide Converters had failed to get an Operational Performance level 3 times before systemic failure occurred. They were on their last set of parts and another set would take a 2 hour wait to get replicated. Not only were they 30 minutes from the end of shift, but they were the only 5 people certified for this job on the mission. Things got started when a Nortanian asked a Drakmärian to toss him his tricorder. The throw was long and another Nortanian caught it instead. This turned into a game of _keep away_ until Pr'gn showed up. Pr'gn asked the Nortanian to hand it over and he did so with a sigh. Pr'gn asked who it belonged to and they all pointed out the owner. With a grin, he tossed it to a Drakmärian while laughing "_too bad for him_" and the game continued for another 5 minutes. He finally gestured for the seniormost to field it to the owner. There was some comradely back-slapping and banter and he said it was a "_good game gentlemen, now let's put some of that energy into getting it right this time_" which they did. It was the Chief Engineer's position that the greater the stress of the task, the more leeway can be given to personal style…as evidenced by his unique method of performing the diagnostic.

_**FINALE**_

**(Note: This addendum to the file is included as it contains information that directly affects or results from the events related in main file)**

(During Pr'gn's absence, a Jerichan assault force attacked Drakmär IV. The fleet managed to hold them off while taking moderate losses. The Nortanians arrived in time to prevent the Jerichans from regrouping and the Jerichans show little interest in fighting a battle on 3 fronts so they withdraw. During the withdrawal, the CYGNUS is critically damaged and must be abandoned since it is sinking into Drakmär IV's atmosphere without power and is ordered destroyed. The Spacedock's sickbay is full and with various crews working together in different sections of sickbay, the CMO is relegated to managerial duties)

_Spacedock Charles Darwin_

When Vitro arrived, he was greeted by a distinguished-looking middle aged Nortanian whose uniform bore the distinguishing feature of having a blue sash. Vitro had never before seen one of those. The man announced as he gestured with a small case he was carrying,

"I'm General Orion of the Militia Reserve. My Doctor is busy with the crew of the _CHEROKEE_ so I thought I'd see if I could help around here?"

"The _CHEROKEE_! What happened?"

"It seems that there was some sabotage which caused a major explosion when they dropped out of warp upon leaving the Shadowlands. We think it might have happened before they left Spacedock. Some _fast thinking_ on the part of the Engineering crew saved the ship at the last second but left the ship in serious trouble. All the crew survived but they were pretty banged up, and Life Support was almost gone by the time we found them. None of them were conscious and that was more than I can say for their ship as it will probably have to be _scrapped_."

Personal Log of Commodore Zachary Dermon. The command staff has all gotten a good night's sleep and Jarrad has called a mandatory command meeting in the main mess hall. I have a feeling I know what this is all about and am anticipating the news. I am hoping that it will allow me to bring about some much-needed changes where technology development is concerned. I do have some regrets about the loss of my dream, but I know this next step holds a special promise for me as far as my future goals are concerned.

"…So, in closing, I say that although many lives have been changed, none of the sacrifice was in vain. The Primus wishes to extend his formal gratitude to everyone for this achievement. At his request, nearly everyone will be receiving a formal commendation and all pending promotions have been approved across the board. Admiral Gibson Porter has informed me that a number of our Starfleet comrades who took part in the recent battle are duly impressed and wish to transfer as part of the officer exchange program. We welcome these new additions to our ranks and wish them well. Those from the Star Corps who wish to take part please feel free to contact Lieutenant Valentine, who will be taking part in this exchange himself. I, for one, will miss him. Speaking of missing people the time has come for Commodore Antoné Hersh to go into a brief retirement so that he may tend to official government business at home. This has left an opening at Starbase Nortania for a qualified administrator who has my full confidence to run the facility and represent the Star Corps in the same manner he has grown accustomed to in his current posting. I know you will do us all proud Commodore Dermon! This will automatically promote his '_number one_' to_ the_ Number One position around here…_haha_! As far as the new exec for this facility, that position goes to an officer who acquitted himself quite nicely in the past day by making some tough decisions that saved his crew and brought them home when anyone else would have been justified in abandoning the mission. Pr'gn, the council has decided not to scrap the ship but rebuild it as a testament to your mission a task you can oversee in your new position. Now please everyone enjoy the festivities at the pleasure of the Primus. Thank you all!" Jarrad finished his speech and turned from the lectern. Dermon turned to face O'Camp and shook the offered hand while the chaplain smiled,

"Congratulations! I kind of figured I was going to wind up in charge of a Facility someday!" Dermon had known his Academy roommate too long and too well not to notice that O'Camp smile ended at his lips, his eyes contained another emotion altogether. _Wait a minute! Does Brian want Nortania also? He never said anything…Well there is a lot of work to do there, and we've worked well here. From what Hersh says, I can definitely use all the help I can get and with Brian's background, I should be able to have him consult on preparing "my" Starbase for any Jerichan event._ He was planning to broach the subject when his friend disappeared into the crowd. O'Camp was wandering through the crowd, distracted by his thoughts and not at all happy with any of the recently transpired events. The Captain was so deep in thought that he did not notice Commodore Jade until he almost walked into her. She made some comment about the _exchange program_ and that she had an ideal candidate to replace the departing Assistant Chief of Operations. He replied the Ops department was still his domain and there probably were not going to be too many changes there. However, he would consider any qualified referral to the Chief of Staff's office. Jade indicated the officer in question who was facing the other direction from them both while chatting with another officer. Jade mentioned the transferee's name, but he did not pay too much attention as he indicated he had some business to attend to currently. O'Camp then made a beeline for the door just wanting to find somewhere he could be alone with his thoughts.

"Hey Zach, I thought for sure I'd find Brian chatting it up with you?" Pr'gn said as he approached the man he was replacing as the head of the Alliance Engineering Corps.

"No I think he needed some breathing space after all the excitement. By the way, I wanted to have a little chat with you. See that man over there between the Avion and the Lunärian?" Pr'gn looked and saw an individual that almost melted into the crowd. He was so nondescript Pr'gn almost missed him. The man's eyes flicked around the surroundings and rested on the engineer for but a split second. For some reason, even that moment sent a chill down Pr'gn's spine. Dermon continued after waving in the man's direction, "He's Jericho Stone, retired Federation Special Operations. He has a rather unique vessel that he uses, and we have a _special arrangement_ that I'd like for you to continue. You keep any parts he needs available without question at no charge, and anytime you have a mission that needs _deniability_ or anything obtained just ask him. He runs a Courier Service, and my dealings with his crew can best be described as '_honest_.' I'd suggest you find your new boss and let him in on it now as well. There is a file named '7' which is the name of Stone's ship that I'd like you to take a look at in the Engineering files." Pr'gn hung around and made small talk throughout the room for another hour before heading for the door. He was almost there when a young woman who was wearing spectacles interrupted him. She made some type of gestures as she spoke,

"I want to thank you for opening that new Communications frequency and _banding_ it to the Command System. That _modification_ has saved me a few headaches getting acclimated to your technology." Pr'gn paused for a second, confused. He then recalled Commander Akermann giving him a Data Chip with a request for it to _replace the Chip in Communications Repeater Panel 35-Papa, Row 8, Column 2 to reflect the communications needs of one of the Starfleet ships_. Except that panel was part of the bank used by the _Artificial Intelligence system_. The Chip already had a _hybrid data-processing driver_ built into it. _Was this woman a hologram_? He thought for a moment and knew that _only_ the Nortanians had _interactive_ holograms that were nearly this _advanced_. In addition, Nortania did _not_ have an _export_ policy with the Federation and this woman was wearing a Gold Lieutenant's uniform. He was ready to reply when he remembered reading about the _spectacles_ she was wearing in a footnote of a recent journal article on upcoming technology that would soon be available for specialized use. It was called an _Etuman Audial Relay_ and _acted_ as a _heads-up device_ to interpret sounds for the Deaf woman. At least he _guessed_ she was Deaf since Etum was populated by a culture of either Deaf or Mute and since she _could_ speak it was the only other conclusion… He extended a hand and remarked,

"I apologize for my hesitation, I've just never met an Etuman and your E.A.R. fascinates me. I like to discuss how your Audial Relay works sometime, if I may?" She smiled warmly and gestured some more as she replied,

"That would be great. I will be transferring to the Spacedock as part of the Exchange Program, and I met an officer yesterday through my former Captain, Commodore Jade. Would you please give my regards to Captain O'Camp?" He nodded and smiled,

"Of course, in fact I'm going to go see him now on official business." Pr'gn knew exactly where the man who had shared his family's home for all those years after the Alliance had declared _independence_ would be. The one place where there would be nobody else right now. The Combat Simulator Holodeck in the Strike Force barracks. The Strikers who were not sleeping were all attending a ceremony put on by the Royal Rangers on the planet. They were all on 48 hours R&R, and the Nortanians were supplementing Security in the meantime.

Pr'gn found O'Camp right where he had figured. He had changed into _casual duty_ dress on his way to the barracks and when he arrived, the Strikers on duty only acknowledged his presence with a nod and went back to cleaning their weapons. The Holodeck itself was empty and off, the _AI_ being diverted to the Primary Holodecks for some _much-needed_ entertainment. Pr'gn continued to wander around for a few minutes until a Striker wordlessly caught his eye and nodded in the direction of the Lounge. Pr'gn looked back at the Striker to say _thanks_ but the young Klingon had already resumed her task. Pr'gn entered the room and saw his friend stretched out on a Recliner, his hand hovering over a plate on the table next to him. On the plate were rows of raw Nortanian fruits. Only one of the rows had any missing, a round pinkish _Gwatlan _that had the same consistency as a carrot. They were about 3cm in diameter and two were missing. Pr'gn was planning to address his friend when he noticed that O'Camp was playing an odd game of _tennis_ with it using his tongue to transfer the food from cheek to cheek. He abruptly stopped, chewed, and swallowed before he addressed the adopted Drakmärian in a familiar manner that nobody outside his family used,

"Percy, I had nothing to do with your promotion. It was a policy decision based on your new position. It's ironic, since the fact that your first command was lost is the reason they put you on the Spacedock, yet it's also the reason they placed you in a position that required the _grade increase_." Pr'gn frowned at the use of his birth name but _flopped_ down in a Lounge Chair across the table and grabbed a couple of thin leafy blue _Speesi _crisps from the plate. They were entirely edible, but the Engineer broke them in half, sucked out the pulp inside and then crunched on the skin. O'Camp chuckled at the old habit since the effort of sucking out the pulp always made one's tongue numb and Pr'gn paused to speak until feeling returned.

"I don't _really_ care about that Bri; I enjoyed my first command. This just throws my future plans off a little. Toné and Zach have begun making up some plans for upgrading the old Starbase and I was planning to be part of the team involved in that project. The _TANELORN_ has already been established as the primary courier contact vessel for that project. I also wanted to get more involved with some of the '_Proving Ground_' design testing program going on at the Aslan shipyard."

"You could always go into the Private Sector since I know they are looking for _independent contractors_ to issue bids according to Nortanian law. Just to let you know, since I was Acting Commander for the past couple days I found out about some pending projects. The council has just approved a new ship design called the ALLIANCE-class Offensive Warship. It will be the most massive hull in the fleet, and the tentative designs look impressive."

"I know all about that new ship since they told me I was to '_clean up_' the design once the project was approved. I even submitted a design. As far as the Private Sector goes, I've been giving it some consideration since I have some favors due me for work I've done in the past. I don't really mind the promotion; it's just that I was actually enjoying having _space legs_ once again."

"Well you know that Vitro will soon be too old to hold a vessel command, perhaps you can request the _MERCY_?" Pr'gn rolled his eyes and shrugged at this. O'Camp continued, "I agree there's nothing like serving aboard the Flagship. Although my personal goal is to someday serve on Nortania. The _ARCHANGEL_ project has been ordered put on hold until the fleet is back to _contract quota_ since my position within the Chaplaincy is now Honorary since I'm holding a position of authority in a time of conflict. The _CRUCIFIX_ is now Keurh's courier and the NARNIA is to be my flagship."

"I've never had the opportunity to meet the good Reverend; I'll have to correct that oversight. Speaking of meeting people, I just got pointed out to someone that Zach wants me to help out with keeping his ship running…a gent named Stone who is a retir…" Brian cut him off with a dirty look as he snapped icily,

"I know _who_ and _what_ the man is. There is no love lost between us. He is to be considered _restricted_ and _only_ given access to any areas his _Civilian status_ needs him to be. You can tell him: _I don't care what his arrangement was before, on my Station his every move will be monitored as though he is a class 1 itinerant_."

"OK…even though he hasn't committed any crime?"

"He was a _dirty tricks_ operator in the Intelligence Community so I don't know that he hasn't. I don't need him to be '_hired by someone hired by someone hired by someone, friendly to our enemies_' with him in a position to _compromise_ this facility."

"Speaking of positions on the Facility, we are already getting requests for postings for the exchange personnel. Jade made a specific request for one person whose career she's _fast-tracking_ and the individual forwards their regards in looking forward to working with you."

In the next 3 days, 386 Alliance personnel were exchanged for 512 from the Federation. Pr'gn had the AEC finish the work on the damaged vessels while he led the team to resurrect the _CHEROKEE_. The council decreed that by custom, the valiant Destroyer's name was to be retired. Pr'gn was not happy with this since he did not fully understand the custom until Jarrad explained it to him. Essentially, ships that had been commissioned less than a year and were involved in a catastrophic incident had their names retired, whether or not the ship was rebuilt, out of respect for the builders. This was supposed to ensure that the builders did not get repetition fatigue by constantly working on the same project repeatedly. It was small consolation to Pr'gn when Jarrad informed him that the new name would likely be the Cherokee word for '_Cherokee_' or **_TSALAGI_**. Before the work on the Destroyer commenced, Pr'gn was asked to officiate the promotion ceremony for T-V. She was placed in command of the Specialized Combat Engineer Detachment that could be assigned to any Battlegroup. As he was affixing the Sergeant's rank, he commented that he expected to see her name on the list of Officer Institute Candidates submitted to the AEC and forwarded to his desk within the next 2-3 promotion cycles.

_**EPILOGUE**_

**(Note: The following information is not directly related to file contents but is included here for informational purposes and archival research integrity)**

Over the next couple of years, the conflict continued. Though not an officially declared war, the battles became more intense and more often. Dermon's health continued to decline and O'Camp continued to consult on the upgrades to the facility at Nortania. During a critical phase of the project, Dermon overexerted himself and had to take sick time. O'Camp and Pr'gn went and visited Starbase Nortania during Dermon's convalescence and ensured that everything continued to move smoothly. Unfortunately, a member of the Admiralty decided it was inappropriate to leave their command unattended and took control of the Spacedock in their absence. This action opened the door for the officer to charge them with Dereliction of Duty and remove them from both current positions. Pr'gn And O'Camp were demoted and transferred to Jarrad's supervision aboard the _TANELORN_. Pr'gn quickly regained his rank and was promoted back to Captain when he was offered command of the _MERCY_ after it became available when Vitro transferred to the _FLEET DEVELOPMENT CENTER_. When Hersh returned to active duty following his obligations to his government, he accepted Pr'gn's offer to become the _MERCY's_ First Officer. After a joint _TANELORN-MERCY_ mission during which a Jerichan attacker was able to hold off the _MERCY_ and the _TANELORN_ arrived too late to prevent the deployment of a _planet-killer_, Pr'gn confided in O'Camp. He informed him that while the _MERCY_ had been making regular checkup trips to Nortania to keep abreast of Dermon's declining health, Pr'gn had used the occasions to make some contacts in the local community. Once his _tour of duty_ was over, the Engineer was considering finally retiring to found his own company. When a request was made for design consultants to advance the ALLIANCE-class project under construction, Pr'gn accepted the offered _Temporary Duty Assignment Transfer_. The team made great progress until he found out that it was a joint Alliance-Federation project. The Alliance wanted a frame that would replace the Flagship, and the NXC-21000 "_ALLIANCE_" would be christened in the same ceremony that would decommission the _TANELORN_. The Council was hoping that Jarrad would retire once offered an Ambassadorial position and Drakmär IV would sign a Mutual-Defense treaty as a Federation protectorate. It was hoped that this would bring an end to Jerichan aggression. The last straw for Pr'gn was when he was told that although the Alliance team would build the vessel, the Federation would receive full credit for its design. He was ending his TDAT when the _MERCY_ joined the _NARNIA_ on a diplomatic mission to Rileus. The Rileans had just finished signing the Alliance charter when a Jerichan Fathership attacks which destroys the _MERCY_ and cripples the _NARNIA_. The Rileans are able to beat back the attacker using their own fleet of natively-designed Pocket-Destroyers and tow the _NARNIA_ home with a completely smashed computer system. Hersh gets promoted for saving most of his crew and accepts a Command position on the planet side _NORTANIA PROJECT_. The Rileans request permission to name their Flagship after the fallen _MERCY_ and the Council of Elders agrees even though the original Hospital Ship is rebuilt with the same name. When Jarrad informs Pr'gn he can have any assignment he wants, the engineer replies that he only wants an assignment that will not have him rebuilding the flagship every couple of years and tenders his resignation. He creates "_Miracle Works Incorporated_" which is located in the civil section of the Aslan shipyards near Nortania and has its business office in the capital city of Sh'kr on R'zal'Shii. Within months, business is booming and the company is given military contracts in return for the board becoming official consultants on Star Corps projects. After several years, MWI is in the process of fulfilling its first Independent project when tragedy occurs. The project, an advanced medium-range, heavy-duty vehicle designed to bridge the gap between the Wayfarers and the Striker Scouts while replacing the aging design of the Coursers, is sabotaged on its test flight and Pr'gn is captured and tortured by the Jerichans. After being rescued, He decides return home and takes a teaching position at TIST until the end of the war. After the war, MWI purchases an abandoned starbase and it becomes a prominent way-station.

NOTES: This story was edited separately from the two source stories 'Lady In Distress' and 'The Reckoning'. There are numerous errors and differences and it took nearly a week to correct all the ones I found. When My cousin was inspecting my vehicle, he put forth the idea of using a warp engine as a weapon since it is very similar in design to a photon torpedo. Despite all rumors to the contrary, the name of the ship used was not my way of boot-licking the club president because of his ancestry. It was honestly because my cousin's vehicle was self-built Jeep Grand Cherokee. Being a mechanic, he wanted the story to be as tech-heavy as possible. I practically wound up memorizing the printed and interactive Macintosh CD versions of the Next Generation Technical Manual. The cover page was put in place when I gave him his hard copy of the story.


End file.
